Bigstock photoI just came back from a holiday in Spain. I didn’t bring my guitar on the holiday and I really missed it from time to time, but I enjoyed great quality time with my wife and three kids.

It’s was also a good time to reflect and evaluate my life. I do that often anyway, but holidays in particular are really suited for some good thinking and gaining new inspiration.

I filled my moleskin notebook with new ideas, things I want to do more or less (more guitar playing, less worrying, more running, less email, more space, less clutter), I wrote down everything that came to mind. Just putting that stuff on paper is good for the soul.

While enjoying every minute of my holiday I also couldn’t wait to start applying all these new ideas when I got come home. It’s great to start over again every time you want to.

Coming back it felt great to feel the strings on my hands again. Later that evening I was watching some interviews and masterclasses of great guitar legends. I always love to do that. There are is so much to learn from that and so many insights to discover.

Learning to play guitar is a never ending process and when you evolve as a guitarist and get better, the learning process also gets better and better. The details of your soloing will become more important and make a significant difference.

And even when you think you know how to play, there are still so many roads to turn to and doors you haven’t opened yet. It never stops being fun or challenging.

New teachers and guitar players will always inspire you to take the next step, to take it a little further, move you into a new direction or motivate you to practice more and keep the passion alive at all times.

I thought I’d share some indispensable tips from the masters that will keep you on top of your game.

That is important indeed. When you start out playing you’ll be copying a lot from other guitar players, that’s how you improve and evolve. But there comes a point when you’ve reached a certain level of guitar playing when you have to find your own style whether it’s playing solos, rhythm guitar or writing songs.

Klaus I’ve been checking back weekly for your next article, you always give me great tips to keep me inspired and motivated to continue improving. Good to hear you were on holiday enjoying yourself. As always you have put together some awesome tips. I really enjoyed the Tommy Emmanuel video, what he says at the end is so true.

Thanks for tips! My favorite music tips come from one of the greatest drummers of all time, Ginger Baker: “You can’t put music in boxes” (about music genres and types) and “It doesn’t matter how fast you play, it’s what you say”.

Klaus,
Here is a quote that i have always enjoyed from my “actual” cousin Willie Nelson, “Three chords and the truth, thats what a country song is.” I just came across your site and have been reading and learning, keep up the excellent work!
Rock n Roll!